Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-08-18

the stream to see the painted wonder moving
without oars or sails-the grandest sight,
many yet aver, that they ever saw in their
Lives. In 1S22-2S steamers multiplied even
on the smallest rivers of the west; and river
towns grew up by steamboat traffic where
now the steamers whistle is never heard
The multiplication of steamboats, was almost
as rapid, once the system was proved a sue
cess, as that of railroads has since been; yet
men were a long time experimenting before
they gained success r
Paddle wheels for propelling vessels were
used before the Christian era; but the first re-
corded attempt to employ steam for the pur-
pose was in 1543 by Blasco de Garay. William
Henry, of Chester county, Pa, put model
steamboat on the Conestoga river in 176S;
and D'Auxiron and Perier achieved quite q
success in France in 1774-5. The Marquis de
Jouffroy continued their experiments ten
years with some success; and in 1856 James
Rumsey ran boat four miles an hour on the
Potomac. John Fitch got his first expert
mental steamer on the Delaware in 1855, and
in 1870 excited general astoniShment by bring
ing her speed up to seven and half miles an
hour. Meanwhile many successes had been
attained in Great Britain, and Robert Fulton
ran steamboat on the Seine in 1903 He
soon returned to America and began that
series of labors which resulted in starting the
Clermont, Aug. Z, 1907, from New York for
Albany, and making the trip with an average
speed of five miles per hour. Mankind were
apparently not so enthusiastic then as now
(and much scarcer in America; yet they
made great to-do over Fulton's success, and
very justly pronounced 1t the Inauguration of
new era. The craft was 13O feet long, with
19 feet beam, 7 feet depth and 100 tons
burden; the paddle wheels were Is feet in
diameter and the boiler was 20 feet long,
fleet deep and s feet widel Immediately after
ward the Phsnix was put on-a side wheel
steamer-sad after trip near NewYork went
by sea to the Delaware. Thereafter the de-
velopment of steamboat traffic was bewilder-
iAgly rapid.
In 1911 Fulton and Livingston commenced
building steamers at Pittsburg; in 1919 the
Comet commenced regular trips on the Clyde,
in Scotland, and in 1916 large steamer went
the whole length of the Ohio and the Missis-
sippi below Cairo, exciting everywhere the
widest enthusiasm
On the western rivers the progress was
amazing, and in the old records we find mat
ter for wonder at the amount Of traffic on
very small streams-Wabash and Green rivers
for instance. Early in 1929 the Florence
whistled reveille to the squatters where
now stands the city Of New Harmony, and in
the "May rise" Of that year she landed big
cargo at Terre Haute, exciting great en-
thusiasm. In 1928 the Ploughboy commenced
regular trips on the Wabash, and in the rise
khn hoo kfN ktA 80
Raccoon creek, in Parke county, and soon
after to Lafayette, the head Of navigation.
| We find cause to smile in the old laws and
orders which show what immense Importance
the pioneers of Indiana attached to their
water routes; one could not erect dam on
any creek near the river till he had applied to
the court, got viewers appointed and recorded
their verdict that his dam would not cob
struct navigation" Now it is almost impos-
sible to get listener to any proposition to
improve the river. For thirty years, though
the season of boating grew shorter as the
country was cleared of timber, the traffic was
immense; as many as sixty steamers one sea-
son passed up to Lafayette and return.
Now the summer volume of the Wa
bash at the above city is scarcely in ex-
cess of the raft requirements, and the whistle
of steamer is rarely heard above Terre
Haute The railroads killed all the schemes
for improvements.
The rapid railroad Developments phe-
nomenon which grows more wonderful the
more it is studied-has also struck q fearful
blow ut river commerce. on the Missouri and
Mississippi; and one may now stay several
days in the season at Omaha, Yankton Or
other up river cities without seeing steamer
land AS early as 1852 there was an immense
trade at ST. Paul; not long after boats were